On Thu 18th Dec 2009 auDA, the Australian Domain Administrator, took an anti-internet filtering website off-line in less than 3 hours, citing an eligibility policy complaint which would typically take weeks to arbitrate.

Melbourne, VIC (PRWEB) December 28, 2009

On Thu 18th Dec 2009 auDA, the Australian Domain Administrator, took an anti-internet filtering website off-line in less than 3 hours, citing an eligibility policy complaint which would typically take weeks to arbitrate. Since that time the owners of the stephenconroy.com.au domain name have exchanged several public communications with auDA expressing their concern at the speed of the takedown and the manifestly inadequate time they were given to respond to the complaint.

The takedown has received international media attention and continues to draw strong criticism towards the regulator for what has been interpreted as a political action contrasting with other documented eligibility arbitrations. Electronic Frontiers Australia are quoted as saying "This incident reflects worrying concerns about the power that private domain name regulators have to silence critical political speech without going through legitimate legal channels."

In an article published in ZDNet on 21'st Dec 2009 auDA's CEO, Chris Disspain, is quoted as saying, "If the company is able to prove a connection to the name, for example via showing it offers a product or service carrying the name, it will be allowed to keep using the domain."

Since that time several representations have been made to auDA by the site operators drawing attention to the fact that the new website (http://stephen-conroy.com/) does carry a line of products which clearly have 'Stephen Conroy' in their name, making them wholly compliant with auDA's domain eligibility policy. Despite this display of compliance, auDA remain steadfast in their refusal to hand back control of the domains, prompting concerning questions about the administrator's original motivation for taking the site down.